On a windy wet Saturday in January, the Newport Fishermen’s Wives end their annual meeting at Mo’s Seafood and Chowder on the bayfront and welcome visitors. As servers deliver tureens of clam chowder and platters of thick buttery toast, the group members stand to introduce themselves.
Then, from the far end of the table, Denise Porter rises.
“I started with the Fishermen’s Wives five years ago when my husband passed away,” Porter begins, noting that the anniversary of the capsizing that took Josh Porter’s life was just three days away. “First, I want to say I wouldn’t be standing here if it weren’t for you,” Porter says. “You walked me through everything … This is my passion. This organization is amazing.”
Founded in the 1970s, the Newport Fishermen’s Wives today is the public face of the fishing community, a band of women known for showing up wherever needed, whether it be serving casseroles at a funeral, providing safety gear for the fleet or helping a family make ends meet
Forty odd years later, the precedent of service is as much a part of the group as the seafood that sustains it. Their work goes on year-round, though not always in ways you might expect. There are toy drives, a children’s literacy program — “Real Fishermen Read” — Survival Suit Races, barbecues and seafood cookoffs, but underpinning every event and program is the unwavering goal of a safer, healthier, brighter future for fishing families.